A lawyer and animal-rights campaigner is backing calls for a rodeo ban and would like to see it in place beyond the Gold Coast.

Angella Pollard is the Coordinator of the Animal Law and Education Project.

She says it is the 'unnecessary nature' of rodeos that makes them cruel.

"It says quite clearly in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that unless you can establish that it is necessary you shouldn't be causing any level of distress to an animal.

"There's an awful lot of animal cruelty out there in relation to how we do scientific experimentation and produce our food, but that cruelty is deemed to be legal and necessary.

"How is it necessary when it is a form of entertainment?"

She says it is clear that animals are injured in rodeos and that 'psychological stress' is also caused by the use of electric cattle prods.

"If you actually read government inquiries there's lots of evidence that there are injuries that animals suffer.

"Particularly around the issue of calf roping, that's particularly cruel, but also the injuries that animals sustain with the flank ropes and also the psychological stress that caused by electric cattle prods as well as they are prodded to go into the ring."

Ms Pollard says the sport of rodeos has been given an exemption from section 20 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, NSW.

"I'm quite concerned about the fact that rodeos continue to operate despite section 20 of the act which clearly says [they] are prohibited."

Dianne Hallam is the General Manager of the Australian Bushman's Campdraft and Rodeo Association.

She believes many of the claims of cruelty, surrounding the sport are made by people who have not been to a rodeo.

She says the animals are bred to buck and that they enjoy what they do.

"You can't actually make and animal do something that it doesn't want to do ... you can't get them to perform at their peak."

Flank straps, Ms Hallam says, are used to 'assist with the bucking' but that they cause an animal no serious discomfort.

"I'm sure that if anyone had a genuine interest in the welfare of the animals, if they went to a rodeo and spoke to the organisers ... and actually inspected the flank straps for themselves, they would see that they are actually not ropes that are pulled tight ... and that they are actually lined.

"The strap is covered in sheepskin lining usually ... it's soft, so it doesn't cause any friction."

Electric prodders are also currently used according to Ms Hallam, but their use is guided by the same restrictions as apply in Saleyards.

She says that injuries to stock occur in 'probably less than one percent' of cases.

"People get injured, horses and stock do get injured in different sports, but the thing is that the percentage of the injury rate is very, very low.

"I know in our association, the records that we're keeping it's probably less than one per cent.

"The reason for that is the stock that we use in Rodeo are very well taken care of."

Ms Hallam says the concern for animals used in rodeos goes beyond their role in owner's livelihoods.

"If you spend enough time with animals, there's a bond," she says.

"If you've got a close bond with an animal, you take care of it."

Ms Hallam also says all stock suppliers must be accredited in order to be part of the industry.

"All the stock must be inspected beforehand; [the suppliers] must understand what's in the animal welfare code of practice."

She says if suppliers don't abide by the regulations they are fined and/or suspended.

"There's no room for them in our sport."

She also says her organisation has invited the RSPCA to their major event and that she has spent time with an RSPCA representative at a rodeo.

"We like to work with those departments because we've all got a common goal."